Troubled gods

The terrorists have permanently changed the way we live (and die), and there’s ratshit we can do about it, except to grin and bear. What’s most depressing however is that they have not left our gods and festivals alone, and instead of joy and celebrations, our festivals and places of worship arouse immense fear in our minds and hearts.

There is not a single important place of worship in Bombay that hasn’t turned into an army fortress, forever gone are days when one could simply slip in, pray and leave. The recent Ganpati fest had me thinking of the worst-case scenario, what with the millions collecting at the beaches, and it’s no different right now with the Navratri and Durga Puja festivals, the Eid and the oncoming Diwali. Singed with gaiety is fear and horror. And it has become so bad for me, I no longer look forward to these otherwise joyful occasions, as they raise the level of terror warnings.

And the thought that’s even worse is that we have learnt to live with this destiny… not only do we not demand resolutions from our leaders, we have stopped expecting it as well. So there’s the office, the beer meets, the romantic dates, the mall ratting, the reality television shows, the cricket matches, the matinees, and the bomb blasts. It’s gotten programmed into our lifestyle. Kids who are growing up right now will refuse to believe there was a time when RDX did not feature on the menu.

Well, keep safe. And hope it’s not you in the next round of attack. And even God can’t help you, He/She is under attack as well.